Pan American Climate Resilient Health Systems
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Introduction
Health systems, including hospitals, are on the frontlines of climate change, bearing the costs of increasing disease burdens and more frequent extreme weather events while simultaneously inadvertently contributing to negative environmental and climate-related impacts.
The goal of this course is to equip federal, regional, and local health systems planners, hospital administrators, long-term care/community care professionals, emergency planners, sustainability officers, public health officials, health practitioners, and others with the knowledge and tools needed to prepare for climate change. This includes how to apply best practices to assess health system vulnerabilities and adaptation options, measure and monitor the climate resilience and environmental sustainability of health systems, and undertake health system greening, all while integrating health equity and undertaking broad stakeholder engagement.
Health Canada, the Pan American Health Organization, the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) and the Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education have co-organized this course, with input from Ministries of Health and Environment and civil-society climate and health practice communities throughout the Americas.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Articulate to key partners and the public the unique challenges health systems and health care facilities (including mental healthcare) face in a changing climate
- Apply methodology and frameworks for assessing vulnerability and adaptation for health systems in any context
- Apply approaches for measuring and monitoring the environmental sustainability of health systems and opportunities to green health systems
- Apply a health equity lens into efforts to address health system decarbonization and build climate resilience
- Develop an initial plan to prepare their health system organization moving forward for specific climate impacts of the region and to communicate and engage with key partners on this issue.
Course Structure
The course will consist of bi-weekly (Tuesday and Thursday) live-virtual 90-minute sessions, offered in English, Spanish and French through live interpretation. Each session will consist of 40 minutes of “theory/foundation” followed by 1-2 case studies, presenting health authority actions across the Americas. There will be a live question and answer which will be monitored by the program team and questions will be consolidated and addressed to expert lecturers. Resources such as frameworks and suggested readings will be provided to all course participants following each session. Video recordings will be available following each session for asychronous view.
Session Topics
1) Healthcare systems in a changing climate
FEATURING:
- Carolyn Tateishi, Director, Climate Change and Innovation Bureau, Health Canada
- Marcos Regis da Silva, PhD, Executive Director of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI)
- Daniel Buss, PhD, Unit Chief, Climate Change and Environmental Determinants of Health. Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO)
- Cecilia Sorensen, MD, Director, GCCHE
- Michael J. Dowling, President & CEO, Northwell Health
- Calae Philippe, MD, Sr. Medical Officer at Bahamas Ministry of Health
- Avriel Rose Diaz, PhD, Executive Director Walking Palms Global Health
- Courtney Howard, MD, Canadian Emergency Physician
SESSION MATERIALS:
Session 1 & 2 Learning Objectives and Resources
2) Assessing risks to human health and health systems from climate change
FEATURING:
- Kristie L Ebi, PhD, Professor, Center for Health and the Global Environment, University of Washington
- Anahi Membribe, Consultant PAHO-WHO Readiness Project Argentina - Province of Neuquén
- Mercy Borbor-Córdova, PhD, Polytechnic School of Litoral, Guayaquil, Ecuador
- Matt Wolff, Climate and Health Program Manager, San Francisco Department of Public Health Climate and Health Program
SESSION MATERIALS:
Session 1 & 2 Learning Objectives and Resources
3) A special focus on health facilities: Assessing risks and opportunities for adaptation and resilience building
FEATURING:
- Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, Head of the climate change and health unit, WHO Headquarters
- Vital Ribeiro, Chairman of the Board of the NGO Healthy Hospitals Project and Architect at the Environment Division of the São Paulo State Health Secretariat
- Judith Harvey, PhD, Technical Consultant, PAHO Smart Healthcare Facilities in the Caribbean Project
SESSION MATERIALS:
Session 3 & 4 Learning Objectives and Resources
4) The health adaptation process: Key actors, activities, and partnerships
FEATURING:
- Daniel Buss, PhD, Unit Chief, Climate Change and Environmental Determinants of Health. Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO)
- Carmen Ciganda, PhD, Ministry of Public Health Uruguay
- Craig Brown, PhD, Vancouver Coastal Health
- Ahnivar Peralta, Project Development Specialist at Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC)
SESSION MATERIALS:
Session 3 & 4 Learning Objectives and Resources
5) Integrating health equity into efforts to address climate change
FEATURING:
- Carlos Faerron Guzmán, MD, Planetary Health Alliance at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
- Vivian Camacho, PhD, General Director of the Health Ministry, Bolivia
- John M. Balbus, MD, HHS Office of Climate Change and Health Equity Interim Director
- Báltica Cabieses, PhD, Professor of social epidemiology ICIM UDD
SESSION MATERIALS:
Session 5 & 6 Learning Objectives and Resources
6) Estimating the costs of the health and health system impacts of climate change
FEATURING:
- Andrea Bassi, Founder and CEO, KnowlEdge Srl and Senior Associate, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)
- Montira Pongsiri, PhD, Senior Advisor, Climate Change and Health
- Marcus Sarofim, PhD, Senior Environmental Scientist, US EPA Climate Change Division
- Diego Moreno Heredia, Colombian Ministry of Health and Social Protection - Climate Change and Health
SESSION MATERIALS:
Session 5 & 6 Learning Objectives and Resources
7) Opportunities and guidance for lowering the carbon footprint of health systems
FEATURING:
- James Hospedales, MD, Founder, EarthMedic/EarthNurse
- Fiona Miller, PhD, Professor, HSR – Health Policy Emphasis Lead
- Elizabeth Schenk, PhD, RN, AVP, Environmental Stewardship, Providence
- Diana Picon Manyari, International Climate Director, Health Care Without Harm
SESSION MATERIALS:
Session 7 & 8 Learning Objectives and Resources
8) Measuring, monitoring, and evaluating climate resilient health systems
FEATURING:
- Peter Berry, PhD, Senior Policy Analyst, Climate Change and Innovation Bureau, Health Canada
- Stella Hartinger, PhD, Cayetano Heredia University; Comprehensive Development, Environment, and Health Unit
- Anwar Mendez, MPH, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
SESSION MATERIALS:
Session 7 & 8 Learning Objectives and Resources
9) Effectively communicating climate change risks to health
FEATURING:
- Andrea Peve, Minister of Health of Neuquén
- Edward Maibach, PhD, Director, Mason’s Center for Climate Change Communication
- Roberta Stout, The National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health
- Donna Atkinson, The National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health
- Carolina Portaluppi-Castro, Casa Grande University, UNDP consultant
SESSION MATERIALS:
Session 9 Learning Objectives and Resources
